Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) created a new standard for First Ladies because instead of retreating to a private life of decorating and entertaining, Eleanor continued her public life by holding press conferences, giving lectures, doing radio broadcasts, and writing a daily syndicated newspaper column. She was an outspoken advocate for social justice for women and minorities both during her stint as First Lady of the United States (1933-1945) and afterwards.

"After her husband [Franklin D. Roosevelt] suffered a polio attack in 1921, Eleanor stepped forward to help Franklin with his political career. When her husband became president in 1933, Eleanor dramatically changed the role of the first lady." Learn more with seven short videos and one full television episode (forty-six minutes long.) There is a Quick Facts section in the left-hand column, and a two-page biography feature as well.

The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill is a nonprofit organization promoting Eleanor's vision of social justice. This section of the site is about her life. "Refusing to be confined to the traditional women's roles of her time, she [Eleanor Roosevelt] was active in political and social arenas. Her partnership as wife and First Lady to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was but one aspect of her full and complex life." Visit for an interactive biography slide show and a list of online resources for further study.

"As she [Eleanor Roosevelt] moved from first lady to diplomat to citizen activist, she not only became the most ardent champion of human rights, but also one of the century's most prolific journalists - publishing more than 8,000 columns, 580 articles, 27 books, 100,000 letters, delivering over 1000 speeches, and appearing on more than 300 radio and television shows." This research center at The George Washington University is working to bring Eleanor's "voice back into the written record."

"Both her [Eleanor Roosevelt's] parents died when she was a child; her mother in 1892, and her father in 1894. After her mother's death, Eleanor went to live with her grandmother, Mrs. Valentine G. Hall, in Tivoli, New York. She was educated by private tutors until the age of 15, when she was sent to Allenswood, a school for girls in England." Visit the FDR Library site for an Eleanor biography with Fast Facts and a timeline. The bio is also available as a printable three-page PDF.

Although the full video from this PBS television special is not available online, there is lots of collateral material worth seeing. It includes a biography, a time line, bonus video clips and an multimedia interactive about Eleanor's goodwill tour of the South Pacific in 1943. "To make her trip useful, Eleanor, traveling as a representative of the Red Cross, inspected the organization's installations on the islands. She kept the plans of her trip a secret and made the 10,000 mile journey to Australia alone so as not to incur criticism for disrupting military operations."